White gold and platinum: what is the difference, are they the same thing or not, what is the difference between the two metals, which one is better to choose

Post updated: Oct 9, 2020

Among jewelers, platinum is called the queen of all precious metals, but people did not immediately understand its value. Spanish conquistadors who mined gold back in the 16th century found yellow metal with gray impurities. There was no way to clean such gold from such grains and the miners began to call it rotten. The impurity itself, which spoils the metal, began to be called platinum, i.e., due to its external resemblance to silver. “silver”, because in translation from Spanish plata means silver. Platinum melted very poorly, which is why it could not be used for a very long time, and therefore its cost was half that of silver. Some people believe that white gold and platinum are the same thing, but this opinion is wrong.

While white gold is an alloy of gold with silver, nickel or some other metals, platinum is a pure metal. The French king Louis XVI himself considered platinum the only royal metal and owned a fairly large collection of jewelry made from it. But still, the question of which is better: expensive and sought-after platinum or white gold is quite complicated, because each metal has its own advantages and disadvantages.

• Pros of platinum
• Platinum and white gold

Platinum and white gold: what do the two noble metals have in common?

The external similarity of these materials is immediately noted; distinguishing them “by eye” is not so easy. Many ordinary people who are far from the jewelry industry are generally sure that these are one and the same thing.

In fact, the identity between these metals ends with their external features. Moreover, platinum has a natural silvery tint, while the color of white gold is achieved by adding various impurities to the melt.

Interesting fact: the Spaniards dubbed the metal the word “platino” during the time of the conquistadors, which means a contemptuous “little silver.” The mineral was found everywhere among new discovered alluvial gold deposits; gold miners treated this find with disdain.

Rings - platinum and white gold
Nowadays, the silver mineral has a special status, platinum albums and credit cards are direct proof of this.

general characteristics

In order to understand what platinum is and what white gold is, you need to take a short excursion into history. The fact that gold has been used by mankind has long been known for certain. Archaeological excavations confirm that humanity has not changed at all in its attitude towards gold - the yellow metal has always been held in high esteem. But the attitude towards platinum was not always favorable. During the conquest of America, the Spanish conquistadors considered platinum to be a harmful or “rotten” metal that affected gold. In fact, at that time, technology did not allow the separation of platinum from alloys and other metals, so it turns out that the metal was undervalued for a long time.

Table: white gold and platinum, what is the difference, differences according to the main criteria

The difference between these two precious metals will become more obvious if you compare their main characteristics.

Differences in fineness and markings of platinum and white gold

Let's look at another big difference between platinum and white gold.

To impart new properties, such as resistance to various influences and changes in shade, alloys - various impurities - are added to the main precious metals.

The content of the purest precious metal and other elements will be indicated by the markings applied to the product.

White gold rings with stones
In order to change the original shade of the sunny precious metal, more than 20% impurities are added to it. On the shelves of jewelry boutiques you can see the following samples:

• 750: 75% gold, the rest palladium, silver;
• 500: 50% pure precious metal, the balance is copper or silver;
• 585: 58.5% gold, balance palladium or silver.

If you evaluate the composition of platinum markings, it is obvious that this precious metal always accounts for the majority of the entire alloy.

• 950: 95.5% pure material, remainder tungsten.
• 900: 90% platinum, balance palladium.
• 850: 85% platinum, balance palladium.

Which stones are suitable for white precious metals?

The following stones are used for inlaying white jewelry:

• Diamond. Stones of various shapes and cuts are used, they emphasize the radiance of the jewelry, regardless of the shade.
• Sapphire. Jewelry is inlaid with stones of blue, light blue, purple, and sunny shades.
• Emerald. The green color attracts attention and emphasizes the whiteness of the jewelry.
• Opal. This stone looks interesting on its own, and combination with a white precious alloy is an interesting design solution.
• Pearl. Jewelers use white, resinous, pinkish minerals.
• Aquamarine. Blue or soft blue haze emphasizes the material without shading it.
• Amethyst. The products are inlaid with purple, lilac, and blue minerals.

Recommendations for wearing and care

Recommendations for gold would be as follows:

1. The precious metal must be cleaned regularly. A mild soap solution is perfect for these purposes.
2. Jewelry must be removed before playing sports, visiting the sauna, cooking, or cleaning. Defects are more noticeable on white gold than on yellow gold.
3. It is necessary to protect the metal from contact with aggressive chemicals.
4. Store gold separately from other jewelry.

Expert opinion

According to WPIC experts, now is the best time to buy platinum. Representatives of the organization note that investors are showing increased interest in precious metals as assets that ensure the preservation of savings. An increase in prices for this metal is predicted, taking into account the following factors:

• limited supply on the market due to the lack of investment in the development of new fields;
• setting prices lower than for palladium, which may lead to increased purchases;
• growth in demand for platinum group metals due to tightening emission standards for automobiles.

Other experts are less optimistic. Analysts at Bank of America and SFA Oxford believe that an increase in value is possible in a few years if hydrogen engines are used. Investments in gold are more promising.

The paradox of the discrepancy between the prices of platinum and gold on the stock and jewelry markets

The cost of precious metals depends on many factors. The main factors are demand and production volume. The silver mineral is in great demand, while its annual production volumes rarely exceed 100 tons.

A surprising discrepancy can be seen if you compare the prices of gold and platinum in the stock and jewelry markets. The Central Bank of the Russian Federation reports that the current cost of solar metal for 2021 is about 4,000 rubles, platinum is about 2,000 rubles. In jewelry boutiques the situation is the opposite - platinum is ahead of solar alloys, becoming more expensive year after year.

The paradox is explained as follows: 950 silver metal is used to cast jewelry. Consequently, there are practically no impurities in the alloy; 95% of the composition is the purest material. Its reserves are not as plentiful as solar metal, therefore, works made from it are rarer.

As for gold, jewelry of the highest standard is practically not made. This metal is too soft, creating durable works from it is impossible without adding additional elements to the alloy. Basically, the highest standard of gold is used for casting bank bars.

Gold is more attractive for investment, and the silver mineral attracts jewelry lovers with its rarity. Hence the discrepancy between the prices of the jewelry and stock markets.

Jewelry on sale

Category: question-answer

Are platinum and white gold the same thing or not?

Expert opinion

Andrey Seleznev

Chemist-technologist, Volgograd

Gold and platinum are two different precious metals. The latter is mined from the womb of the earth, while white gold is an artificial alloy that is obtained by adding alloy elements to the solar metal. It is mainly represented by 750 markings, platinum - 950.

What is more expensive, platinum or white gold?

Expert opinion

Pribrezhny Gennady Valentinovich

Jeweler 6th category

The price is determined by the industry of use of the precious metal, manufacturing technology, and function in the economy. In the jewelry industry, work made from silver mineral is more expensive, this is directly related to its rarity and purity.

Platinum rings

Which metal is better to choose for wedding rings: platinum or white gold?

Expert opinion

Grishanov Mikhail Petrovich

Jeweler, director of the Grishanov and Co. workshop

Wedding rings are everyday attributes, so preference should be given to stronger material. A platinum ring will be resistant to damage, corrosion, and will not deteriorate from regular contact with household chemicals.

How to clean a platinum ring at home?

Expert opinion

Pribrezhny Gennady Valentinovich

Jeweler 6th category

The ring should be cleaned regularly using special jewelry cleaners or a solution of mild soap and warm water. You can clean the metal with a soft toothbrush; after the procedure, you will need to wipe the jewelry dry with a soft cloth.

Is it possible to wear platinum and gold together?

Expert opinion

Maria Baranova

Fashion designer

If we are talking about white gold, then you can wear this metal together with platinum, since they have a common shade.

If not jewelry production, then what?

Platinum is a hypoallergenic metal. It is completely resistant to corrosion, does not enter into chemical reactions, does not oxidize and is very refractory. These important properties quickly found application in medicine.

Interesting fact. Platinum can penetrate cells in the form of nanoparticles without causing pain. But most importantly, it eats up the free radicals that accompany aging. Perhaps in the future, an elixir of youth will be created from it.

Today, platinum is used to fight cancer and also treat heart disease. Dentists are not far behind - crowns made of platinum are the most durable, in addition, implants are made from it, which are best accepted by the body.

Interesting fact. Each police series has a special mirror through which the progress of the interrogation is monitored. There are such mirrors in our country - identifications are carried out through them, etc. So, these mirrors are durable glass coated with platinum. On one side there is ordinary glass, on the other there is a mirror.

Oil production and electroplating. Here platinum is used in coatings, magnets, for the production of anodes and much more. Platinum has the ability to accelerate chemical processes associated with nitrogen, which industrialists successfully use.

Everything related to platinum and production costs a lot of money. How much is platinum actually worth?

Jeweler's comment

Molokanov N.M.

Jeweler, 26 years of experience in jewelry production.

It is completely unclear to many clients of jewelry boutiques how these precious metals differ. The confusion arises due to their external similarity. Gold requires more careful handling; it is a soft alloy, which cannot be said about platinum. It is 60% stronger. The silver mineral is not malleable at all, so it is not used for the production of openwork jewelry.

A little history

The first mention of the unknown metal platinum dates back to the 16th century. Gold miners found it, but because they couldn’t melt it, the platinum was simply thrown away. The metal resembled silver in appearance. And since they couldn’t do anything with it, that is, with her, with platinum, at that time, it was called rotten silver.

Historians have found mention of platinum in the writings of Ancient Egypt. Since 1735, platinum was banned from being imported into Spain, and in Colombia it was completely drowned in the river. For the first time, it was used by the Spanish authorities themselves to produce coins, or rather, to counterfeit them.

But Russia became the first to mine platinum on an industrial scale. It was discovered in the Urals at the beginning of the 19th century. Platinum was mined in huge quantities, but since they did not yet know how to process it, all the precious metal was sold to France and America. It was there that they found a way to make it pure by separating the impurities.